Tag Archives: N.C.

Not much happening lately other than wrestling with all the hills and mountains here. I had another great stay with my friends Shawn & Stephen in Matthews NC. They’ve done much traveling before their son, Kian was born. They met in Amsterdam where they lived for four years and then moved to South Africa for two years. Shawn was born in the U.S. and Stephen was born in Ireland, bringing his Irish accent with him. They are already planning to do more traveling soon but this time with their son. Thanks Shawn & Stephen for keeping my rain jacket for me and also for another wonderful stay in NC!

The temperature at night has been getting cooler and I expect from here on it will continue to do so. I hadn’t planned on being this far north as my trip to Victory Junction was more impulse than anything. I’ve depleted my budget and I think I’ll be looking to find a trucker that’s heading to Florida so I don’t spend valuable time riding back home. I’ve learned a lot from my trip and there is much work I need to do to make my trip across the U.S. smoother and more efficient. I was hoping to ride the whole way home to make it a round trip but I’ll really need the remaining time to plan and do some fund raising. I’m also thinking about a redesign for the website to make it more pleasing to the eye. A forum will be added so visitors can participate and add ideas and conversations during the trip.

The battery in my laptop is on it’s last legs and I’m afraid it may be down until I can afford a new one. I feel pretty lucky that the laptop has endured the trip thus far. The bike is in good condition but could use some general maintenance. I also need some new clothes since I’ve lost over 20 LBS. 🙂

The photos below are from Concord NC where I passed through on my way to Randleman. I had to stop this time and grab more photos of the large boulders that are scattered around this small town. The locals tell me they were thrown there many years ago from a volcano near Rockingham Speedway.

I’ve been spending some time writing my entry for my Victory Junction visit and I hope to have it finished and on your desk soon.

What a strange feeling now that I have accomplished reaching my destination after 2,153 miles of traveling by bicycle. I’ve had a sense of mission. A sense of reaching a goal I’ve set for myself. A path. Now it’s all gone. It’s like reaching the top of the mountain and not having anywhere else to go. A void. Yes, I know I still have a much bigger goal ahead of me and that will come soon enough, but this feeling is the empty space between paragraphs. Something I’ve never paid that much attention to in the past. Something I’ve taken for granted because it seemed so minute. The feeling is neither positive or negative, just strange and unfamiliar. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never challenged myself in this way before or perhaps it’s because it’s all so open to me now. A very strange feeling indeed.

Another strange feeling I’ve had is seeing my first coyote. While in High Point I found a place where I could lay my head down for the night. It was near the woods but not in them. Just as I was getting ready to remove the bungee cords that hold my sleeping bag in place, I noticed a dark silhouette moving about fifty feet away from me. At first I thought it was a larger than usual feral cat. As I strained to see better in the darkness it started looking more like a dog and I resolved for myself that’s what this creature was. He noticed me and would move quickly from spot to spot but not away from me. We both stood there looking at each other for a few minutes. I took my headlight from the quick disconnect on my handlebars and aimed it him. His eyes reflected the light back. It wasn’t enough light to illuminate him so I could see for sure what it was but I was more interested in trying to scare him off.

Since he didn’t approach me I felt he would be no danger and continued to reach for the bungee cord again. That’s when he let out a very loud, raspy sounding growl. Not like the romantic sounds you hear in movies. That’s when I realized it was not a dog at all. That’s when I realized I was probably not welcome to stay where I was. I put the light back on my handlebars and grabbed my air horn. I slowly got back on my bike and rode around and away from him. I kept my eye on him and hoped he wouldn’t charge me from the bushes that were starting to come between us as I turned to go back the way I came. He didn’t come after me and it’s a damn good thing because I was ready with my dog tested air horn and my roll of toilet paper.

My visit at Victory Junction was awesome and enlighting. Sammie Barkley was an excellent guide and gave me a tour of the camp on a beautiful sunny day. Camp was in session and I saw many of the children in groups going about their activities around the many centers on site. Interacting with the kids is not allowed while in session for privacy and security reasons. It’s a very colorful place with fun looking buildings donated by many of the NASCAR drivers and sponsors of some of the race teams.

As I approached VJ on my bike I saw the big water tower that looks like the hot air balloon on the VJ logo. It rose up above the horizon and the trees as I crested the hill leading to the entrance. When I reached the main entrance my odometer read 2,153 miles.

I will write more about my visit in the next few days but for now I need to plan where I go next and leave this beautiful Bed & Breakfast where I spent the night thanks to owner Alice Brunner and her son, Daniel of Hill Top Bed & Breakfast in Randleman. It was a very pleasant and very comfortable stay in this two story historic home. It holds 5 bedroom suites complete with their own bath and/or shower. Out back is a separate spacious honeymoon suite for couples. I highly recommend Hill Top Bed & Breakfast for anyone wanting to stay within 100 miles of Randleman! God bless you Alice and Daniel.

Hill Top Bed & Breakfast in Randleman NC

When I started my trip I packed two pairs of jeans. Sizes 36 and 34. Last night I wore the size 34 for the first time and they fit just a little loose on me. I haven’t been on a scale in a while but I’m sure I’m somewhere between 165 lbs. and 170 lbs. Down from 192 lbs.

I’d like to say a special thank you to Dan Hodgson and his team- Kristian, Kim and Tracy of Acknowledging Christ Through Service (A.C.T.S) a ministry ofHome to Home in High Point who approached me and asked if I would like a sandwich and chips. Dan and his team scour the streets looking for the homeless and people in need so as to lend them a helping hand.

Dan was adamant in making sure I had everything he could help me with and I think I put him to the test. After giving me a sandwich, chips, cookies and a bottle of cold water, he continued to grill me about my needs. I told him I needed to replace my balding back tire on the bike, thinking this request would choke him. Not a chance! He hooked me up with Spinz Bicycle Shop in High Point. Dan tried to absorb the cost of the tire for me but his friend, R.P. Hughes at Spinz, refused to take any money from Dan and covered the cost of the tire and service for us.

I left High Point with such a feeling of gratitude and humbleness that I cannot thank Dan and his team enough, not only for what they did for me, but also for what they do for their community. Special thanks to Dan and his team and R.P. Hughes for their kindness, generosity and caring nature. High Point is very lucky to have people like this living in thier town.

My “Couch Surfer” contacts in High Point never replied to my requests for a couch which left me spending most of the night at Walmart and then later finding a nice dark, quiet spot next to large delivery truck that was backed up to a loading dock. The driveway was sunken between two grassy banks which provided privacy for me during the night. Since the next day was Sunday I wasn’t worried that truck would be going anywhere in the early hours while I was catching up on much needed sleep.

I found a Wi-Fi hotspot not far from there at a McDonald’s and did some online work. (playing games) Thanks to my anchorman, Bondo, I was able to afford a burger and a coffee. I packed things up so I could go back outside and get warmed up when Okey Dokey the goat pulled up next to me in the parking lot. With the back seat all to himself he was very content and seemed very comfortable.

The owner of Okey Dokey, whose name escapes me right now, explained that he is in the process of moving to Switzerland with Okey Dokey where he owns land and a house. Because of legal red tape he must take Okey Dokey to Canada in order to get him to Switzerland.

If you look at Okey Dokey’s horns you’ll see rubber horn guards. The owner says they are bicycle hand grips that he glued on. He said nothing about how many miles he rode Okey Dokey to get to High Point but I’ll bet I got him beat.

In the morning I’ll make contact with Victory Junction and work out the fine details of my visit. In the meantime I may move further down the road to Archdale and wait for the green flag to VJ.

My travels have brought me to Thomasville NC where I am a stone’s throw away (+-20 miles) from my destination, Victory Junction at Randleman. I am at the library trying to make accommodations for a couple of days so that arrangements can be made for my visit at the camp. I’ve contacted a couple of “couch surfing” hosts and hope to have a place to stay tonight and hopefully tomorrow.

I spent two days in Lexington because of a slow steady rain. I discovered that somewhere along the way I either lost or forgot my rain jacket. My options for a place to stay in Lexington were few. Someone suggested the homeless shelter but I would feel guilty taking a cot from someone who needed it more than me. I ended up finding a place at a church in town with a nice little secluded courtyard.

My ride from Lexington to Thomasville was a damp one due to a heavy mist hanging close to the ground. My shirt soaked up the moisture and I stopped a few times at convenience stores to let the air conditioning dry me out. The coffee wasn’t half bad either.

I hope to catch up on some of the missing gaps in my journey due to the lack of time it takes to produce these entries. Libraries and McDonald’s Wi-Fi just doesn’t provide the time I need.

Total mileage: 2,093

A few more photos from the past few days.

Home of Dale Earnhardt and my 2,000 mile mark!

A cute little train station

These pigs, in different varieties, seemed to be all around Lexington. This one was at the library.

I’ve made it to within 100 miles of Victory Junction and expect to be there in a few days. I have contacted the wonderful people there and will keep them updated on my progress. Unfortunately, Nicole Studer, the person I’ve been communicating with since the start, will be on vacation during my time there and I won’t be able to meet her in person. Sammie Barclay, a member of the development team will be my new guide for the tour of Victory Junction.

I’ve been looking forward to my visit there and feel pretty good about my accomplishment in making it to Victory Junction thus far.

Many thanks to everyone who has been following along and giving support during my ride here. More to come when I make my visit to Victory Junction.